U.S. patent application number 10/497655 was filed with the patent office on 2004-12-09 for hearing aid assembly.
Invention is credited to Bordewijk, Lourens George.
Application Number | 20040247147 10/497655 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19774373 |
Filed Date | 2004-12-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040247147 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bordewijk, Lourens George |
December 9, 2004 |
Hearing aid assembly
Abstract
System including a CIC hearing aid that is constructed from a
first universal part containing microphone, amplifier and
loudspeaker and a second part that is adapted to the auditory canal
of the patient. The hearing aid is of a digitally programmable
design. The programming is carried out by way of a cable. Since a
connection to the first part is not easy to make on account of lack
of space, it is proposed to use an auxiliary part that replaces the
first part and is used for establishing the desired amplifier
characteristics. The desired amplifier characteristics obtained in
this way are transmitted to the first part to be used by the
patient by contacts that are accessible when the aid is removed
from the ear.
Inventors: |
Bordewijk, Lourens George;
(Den Haag, NL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
YOUNG & THOMPSON
745 SOUTH 23RD STREET
2ND FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22202
US
|
Family ID: |
19774373 |
Appl. No.: |
10/497655 |
Filed: |
June 4, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
December 9, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/NL02/00806 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
381/322 ;
381/323; 381/324 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R 25/60 20130101;
H04R 2225/023 20130101; H04R 25/556 20130101; H04R 25/603
20190501 |
Class at
Publication: |
381/322 ;
381/323; 381/324 |
International
Class: |
H04R 025/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 7, 2001 |
NL |
1019518 |
Claims
1-6. (canceled)
7. System comprising a first part (2) of a CIC aid adapted to the
auditory canal of the user, a second part (3) of a CIC aid to be
connected to said first part during normal use of the hearing aid
and comprising a microphone and amplifier, which amplifier is
digital and programmable, said second part comprising contacts (6,
7) for said programming, and an auxiliary part (13) that is
designed to be connected to said first part during the setting of
the hearing aid and comprises a microphone and amplifier and a
cable (connection) (15).
8. System according to claim 7, comprising a central computer (10)
that can be connected by way of a cable to said auxiliary part and
is embodied to program said second part.
9. System according to claim 8, comprising a connecting piece (20)
that is to be fitted between said central computer and said
auxiliary part, the connecting piece being provided with connecting
means for connection to said second part.
10. Hearing aid to be inserted deep inside an auditory canal (CIC),
comprising a first part that is adapted to the auditory canal of
the user, a second part (3) that is designed to be connected to
said first part during normal use of the hearing aid and removable
from said first part and comprises a microphone and amplifier, said
amplifier being digital and programmable, and said second part
comprising contacts (6, 7) for said programming.
11. Hearing aid according to claim 10, in which the free head end
face of the first part, i.e. the end face of the first part that
faces outwards, is provided with a sound inlet and on/off switching
means and at least one of said contacts.
12. Method for programming a hearing aid, comprising placing an
auxiliary part with a microphone and digital, programmable
amplifier in the ear, optimizing the amplifier setting by way of an
external connection and central computer, and transmitting said
optimized amplifier setting to an amplifier of a second part of
said hearing aid, followed by the connection of said second part of
the hearing aid to a first individualized part of the hearing aid.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a hearing aid for fitting
deep inside the auditory canal of the user (CIC). Numerous attempts
have been made to develop such hearing aids. The applicant has been
successful in this and is now in a position to offer hearing aids
comprising a universal amplifier part and a cover that is adapted
to the auditory canal of the patient and is connected to the
amplifier part in order to form the hearing aid.
[0002] Such hearing aids work entirely satisfactorily and overcome
the drawbacks known from the prior art. However, there is a trend
towards designing amplifiers of such hearing aids so that they are
digitally programmable. This makes it possible in a simple manner
to adapt specifically to the requirements and impairments of the
user.
[0003] Although it is suggested in the patent literature that such
programming be produced wirelessly, there are still many drawbacks
to this at the present time. On the other hand, it is not easily
possible to provide a detachable cable connection between the
amplifier part and an adjusting external central computer. In
particular, it is not possible to use such a cable when further
conditions are otherwise unchanged, in other words when the hearing
aid is inserted in the auditory canal in the usual way. These
problems are caused primarily by the fact that a hearing aid
inserted deep inside the auditory canal has very small dimensions.
Besides, a number of users require it to be possible to switch off
the hearing aid from the outside. This means that both the sound
inlet and such a switch have to be fitted on the head end face of
the amplifier part that faces outwards.
[0004] It is the object of the present invention to provide the
hearing aid described above with a digital, programmable amplifier
and to make it possible to program said amplifier in a simple and,
above all, reproducible way.
[0005] This object is achieved by a system comprising a first part
of a CIC aid that is adapted to the auditory canal of the user, a
second part of a CIC aid that is designed to be connected to said
first part during normal use of the hearing aid and comprises a
microphone and amplifier, which amplifier is digital and
programmable, said second part comprising contacts for said
programming, and an auxiliary part that is designed to be connected
to said first part during the setting of the hearing aid and
comprises a microphone and amplifier and also a cable
(connection).
[0006] According to the invention, advantageous use is made of the
applicant's idea of constructing a hearing aid of two parts, an
amplifier part that is universal, and an individualized cover that
is connected to the amplifier part and provides engagement with the
auditory canal of the user. Apart from the advantages known earlier
in the prior art, it is possible with the present invention to
replace the amplifier part of the user during setting 6f the
amplifier with an auxiliary part held by the audiologist or another
person who is performing the setting operations. This part is of a
substantially identical design to that of the amplifier part, but
is provided with the above-mentioned connection or connecting
cable, which is necessary for connection to an adjusting central
computer. In the case of hearing aids with an on/off switch such a
cable may be provided at the position of the on/off switch. The
microphone of the auxiliary part is preferably placed in the same
position as the microphone of the second or amplifier part that is
being used by the user. By making all essential variables of the
auxiliary part substantially identical to those of the amplifier
part, it is guaranteed that the setting conditions are identical.
The cover to be slid onto the second part is also used for the
auxiliary part, in other words the same part that is adapted to the
auditory canal of the patient is used during the adjustments.
[0007] After or during the optimization of the amplifier of the
auxiliary part, these data are input into the amplifier of the
second part of the actual hearing aid. This input of data according
to the present invention is performed by way of contacts. These
contacts can comprise an additional contact and/or the battery
contacts. It will also suffice to have only the battery contacts
and to set the digital amplifier for the programming by means of
multiplex techniques.
[0008] It is possible to fit the contacts at a place that is not
accessible when the hearing aid has been fitted in the auditory
canal.
[0009] However, the contact is, or the contacts are, advantageously
fitted on the front end wall at the head end of the part of the
hearing aid containing the electronics. Such contacts may be of
extremely small dimensions. This applies in particular to their
depth. A plug needs a depth of at least 2 mm, with the result that
the length of the aid increases accordingly. In the case of CIC
aids the length is extremely important, so that such an increase in
length is undesirable. The contacts according to the present
invention can simply be made of a metal part with a thickness of,
for example, 0.1-0.3 mm. The surface area of such contacts can be
small. If these contacts are of a circular design, a figure of
approximately 2 mm is given as an example. Furthermore, it is
possible to fit the contact in a slightly recessed manner (a few
tenths of a mm), so that it can be closed off with a closure cap.
It will be understood that, instead of a single contact designed in
the manner described above, two or more contacts may be present. A
second contact may be fitted in a different position from that of
the first contact.
[0010] According to an advantageous variant of the system described
above, a connecting piece is present, into which connecting piece
the amplifier part or second part of the actual hearing aid can be
inserted, and by means of which connection is made to the
programming contacts present in said part.
[0011] The invention also relates to a hearing aid for fitting in
the auditory canal of a person, comprising a first part that is
adapted to the auditory canal of the user, a second part that is
designed to be connected to said first part during normal use of
the hearing aid and comprises a microphone and amplifier, which
amplifier is digital and programmable, said second part comprising
contacts for said programming, and said contacts being covered
relative to the environment when first and second part have been
connected. More particularly, said aid is provided with an on/off
switch near the head end face.
[0012] The invention also relates to a method for programming a
hearing aid, comprising placing an auxiliary part with a microphone
and digital, programmable amplifier in the ear, optimizing the
amplifier setting by way of an external connection and central
computer, and transmitting said optimized amplifier setting to an
amplifier of a second part of said hearing aid, followed by the
connection of said second part of the hearing aid to a first
individualized part of the hearing aid.
[0013] The invention will be explained in greater detail below with
reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in
which:
[0014] FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically and partially in cross section
a hearing aid according to the invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 shows an end view of the first part;
[0016] FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically the auxiliary part according
to the invention combined with an individualized cover; and
[0017] FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically the arrangement during the
adjustment of the amplifier of a hearing aid.
[0018] A hearing aid is indicated by 1 in FIG. 1. This hearing aid
is composed of a cover 2, which is adapted externally to the shape
of the auditory canal. For an example of such an adaptation,
reference is made to the PCT application PCT/NL02/00100. However,
it should be understood that the manner of adaptation is not
relevant to the present invention. The cover encloses one end of
the amplifier part 3. By removing the cover 2 from amplifier part
3, the relatively large battery 4 is exposed. The remaining space
in the cover 2 is available for the accommodation of a sound tube
and/or the accommodation of ear wax.
[0019] The amplifier part 3 is provided with a microphone 5, which
is preferably fitted centrally, so that the amplifier part 3 can be
used for either the left or the right ear. The microphone 5 is
placed directly against the end face. An on/off switch 8 is also
present, and there is a pull cord 11 for removing the hearing aid 1
from the ear. Reference numeral 9 indicates a digitally
programmable amplifier, and 14 indicates a loudspeaker, which is
connected to a sound tube in a manner not shown in any farther
detail. A contact situated on the front side of the amplifier part
3 is indicated by 7. In FIG. 2 the battery contacts are indicated
by 6. It can be seen from the arrangement according to FIGS. 1 and
2 that when cover 2 is slid over the amplifier part both the
battery and the contacts 6 belonging to it are covered.
[0020] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the contact 7 is fitted on the
head end wall. This contact 7 is composed of a thin metal plate
with a thickness of preferably 0.1 mm. As shown, contact 7 lies in
a recess 21 on which a closure cap 12 can be placed. The diameter
of the metal plate 7 is approximately 2 mm (circular). Instead of a
single contact, two contacts designed in this way may be
fitted.
[0021] An auxiliary part 13 is shown in FIG. 3. The construction of
this auxiliary part, insofar as it is of importance here,
corresponds to the amplifier part 3 described above. The microphone
is fitted in the same position. A connecting cable 15 is now
provided instead of the on/off switch 8. Auxiliary part 13 can be
connected to cover 2 in the same way as amplifier part 3.
[0022] A process control arrangement is shown in FIG. 4. This
process control arrangement is composed of a central computer or PC
10 and connecting piece 20. The cable 15 extends from the
connecting piece 20 and may or may not be connected by way of a
detachable connector 18 to the auxiliary part 13. The connecting
piece 20 is provided with a socket for accommodating the amplifier
part 3.
[0023] The construction described above works as follows. After a
correctly adapted cover 2 has been obtained, during the first
taking of measurements for a hearing aid, auxiliary part 13 is
connected to it and placed in the auditory canal of a user. The
setting of the amplifier 9 situated in said auxiliary part is then
adapted in the optimum way to the requirements and impairments of
the user by way of a central computer 10. This setting is
transmitted either simultaneously or at a later stage to the
amplifier part 3, which is electrically connected to the central
computer by way of the connecting piece 20. The auxiliary part 13,
covered by cover 2, is then removed from the ear, and the cover 2
is detached from the auxiliary part 13, and cap 12 is removed. The
auxiliary part 2 and amplifier part 3, which has been set as
desired, are then connected, and the hearing aid can be placed in
the auditory canal of the user. If an on/off switch is present, the
aid can then be put into use.
[0024] With the present invention it is possible to shorten
considerably the overall length of the amplifier part 3. A figure
of approximately 20%, and more particularly approximately 2.2 mm,
is mentioned as an example. This means that the aid is even less
visible in the auditory canal.
[0025] Although the invention has been described above with
reference to a preferred embodiment, variants that lie with the
scope of the present claims will in immediately spring to mind for
the person skilled in the art.
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